It is sometimes desirable to configure a piston-cylinder device, such as an internal combustion engine, so as to be operable at less than full displacement capacity. For example, in automotive applications, it is known to configure eight-cylinder engines so that less than all eight cylinders are operable at any given time. However, conventional multi-cylinder piston-cylinder devices are highly susceptible to vibration when less than all of the cylinders are operating due to unevenly-timed application of power strokes to the crankshaft as it rotates.